First-time house renovation

latecomer

andrew-b wrote: »

I enjoy it though despite the aches, pains, injuries. Yesterday was no exception on injuries - i crushed my thumb nail between old cistern and concrete path when i dropped it a few inches before reaching the ground :eek::eek:. Really bruised and looks like it bled underneath but nothing broken fortunately!

I did something similar to my pinky last week. Swelling has gone down but its still bruised and sore.

andrew-b wrote: »

Latecomer, you should try speedfit push-fits...so much quicker and easier! Took about 10 minutes to connect cistern up - 1 elbow and a tap connector - 5 of those were probably messing about with PTFE tape on the inlet tailpipe! By then i was a zombie so not having to think about it was quite an advantage!

Andy

I keep meaning to try it but haven't got round to it yet. I've promised myself that when doing the bathroom upstairs I'll use it as it should make life a lot easier. I'll probably post about it requesting help long before giving it a shot so keep an eye out for it

Shimmyhill

latecomer wrote: »

We used normal radiator paint. Gave them a really good rub down first and then 2 coats of paint. Also rubbed down a little bit between coats in any places it didn't look good. End result wasn't bad at all. I'll go out to the garage and check on the make of radiator paint if you are interested.

Yes please !

Did you have issues with runs ? Maybe i am using the wrong brush or just not good at it - mind this was at the old house and i have built up more experience since then

Shimmyhill

andrew-b wrote: »

I just use standard white paint for wood & metal. Actually i've still got to do the top coat on the spare room radiator - one of the jobs left over since decorating that room in December 2007..can't believe it was that long ago now!

Andy

Same questions as above

TomsMom

Oooh my goodness, what a lot of posts. I haven't had the computer on since last Thursday as the decorator has been doing the lounge :T and we had to move it and there was nowhere else to put it. Anyway he finished the lounge today :j , he's just got the downstairs WC final coat of emulsion and the sun room to finish off now and that's it! So, sorry for the delay in getting back.

jamtart6 tomsmom - been thinking more about the eggshell, did you paint doorframes with eggshell+acrylic gloss as well as windowsills?

Yes JT, all the woodwork has been done with eggshell/acrylic gloss - skirting boards, architraves, windowsills and the strings on the stairs. I'm not sure about using it over gloss but if you sand the gloss down then I can't see why not. Ours was new wood and primed first.

Any ideas what colour you'd call it? Chalk blue? Cornflower blue? Ah I love it so much!

Is there no info on what colours they've used? It's a nice colour, bluebell comes to mind. If you're looking at the Cornflower colours, be careful with Cornflower White from Dulux. It looks grey-ish on the shade card but it was more like a wedgewood blue when it was put on the wall. I'd buy a tester when you find a colour you like.

Good news about the plasterer, once you've seen the room plastered you feel as though you're on the way, it's amazing!

About people stepping onto your lawn - if it suits your house then the little chain link fence would be nice, likewise the rocks if that would suit it's style better. Both should be good deterrents. People can be very inconsiderate!

andrew-b You've certainly been busy! I hope you've rested up and recovered and are ready to go again. Don't get overdoing it.

lisal0u TomsMom - My spuds are going mad too! I'v had to cover them over twice already. Broccoli and cabbages are in pots and I'm going to put a ring of vaseline around them to keep the slimeys off!

One of my spud bags is almost earthed up to the top now, I'm getting quite excited. I've got 5 bags of my own and 4 of my d-i-l's as she doesn't have a garden. My red peppers have been munched by slugs and I've now declared war on them. I've rescued them in time and the new leaves seem to be growing well now. I also put some butternut squash in at the weekend and the dwarf runner beans. Can't wait to see what I manage to grow.

Does the vaseline work with snails? I might give it a try. We've been told WD40, a spray made up of fresh garlic/boiling water, crushed eggshells. At the moment we're using pet friendly organic slug pellets.

Shimmyhill What do people paint radiators with - i have tried in the past radiator paint and frankly it is evil ! ?

In our old house OH used spray paint (because of my allergy to brush marks :rotfl: ). He left them in situ, masked off the surrounding walls with cardboard/paper and after sanding the rads he sprayed on a couple of light coats. He used proper radiator paint in a spray can and he thinks there was a choice of matt or gloss, we had matt and they looked lovely.

Our son finished tiling the downstairs WC last week but he couldn't do anything else as we're still waiting for the worktop to be fitted in the utility so he couldn't tile the walls in there.

The hob still hasn't been fitted either and today we were told that the fitter is too busy to come and do it (thanks mate, you could have told us that before, we've been in 5 weeks now with no hob!) but he's told us of another fitter who's coming out tomorrow to have a look. OH's back in hospital on the 19th for his next chemo so we really must try and get to look for kitchen tiles soon.

We've ordered the carpets and they'll be delivered between 21-26 May so hopefully we wont have to wait too long for the fitter to come. OH has had the upstairs floorboards up and down trying to cure the ticking CH pipes (they're driving him mad as well as me!). He's packed the pipes which seem to be affected and used lots of fibreglass stuff and it seems to have made a big difference. We'll have to get that right before the carpet goes down.

I've managed to finish clearing the borders in the garden, it's looking much better and lots of rubbish has been removed including hundreds of those garlicky white bells (like bluebells but white) - there's still lots left in though, I think we'll be clearing them for years :rotfl: .

I think that's my update for now. Once the decorator has finished I'll take some more photos and update the blog.

mags6892

I would try , your local library, they have quite a few books , from diy to self build.

latecomer

Shimmyhill wrote: »

Yes please !

Did you have issues with runs ? Maybe i am using the wrong brush or just not good at it - mind this was at the old house and i have built up more experience since then

No problems with runs but then they were lying flat on the floor at the time which might explain it

The paint was <runs out to garage>, comes back confused and no idea where tin is. Will look better later on and let you know.

latecomer

TomsMum - cant wait to see what it looks like once all the decorating has been done. Need pics of the garden too. Thats a long post, guess you missed us while you were offline

level200

I paint my rads with enamel radiater spray. rub down and apply even coats (allowing to dry between coats) and you will end up with a long lasting smooth finish

ukmaggie45

TomsMom wrote: »

My red peppers have been munched by slugs and I've now declared war on them. I've rescued them in time and the new leaves seem to be growing well now.

Hi TM, it's worth using NemaSlug to get rid of slugs. It's a tiny parasite that sits in the soil and infects the slugs, killing them. It's supposed to discourage snails too, but we still get snails, possibly fewer . Has to be re-applied every 6 weeks or so. You mix the stuff up in water and apply with a watering can.

We just have a backyard with tiny bed and lots of pots at home (surrounded by tall brick walls - it's a terraced house), and after using the NemaSlug regularly one year (I think we did 3 or 4 applications) we've had much less probs with slugs, though we could do with repeating the treatments this year as have seen a few baby slugs around.

Quite a few online gardening places seem to sell it, I've always bought it from Green Gardener (no connection, just a satisfied customer). Which reminds me, must order some today or it won't come this week (I think they mail out on Thursdays so that it arrives in time for the weekend). You have to keep it in the fridge until you use it, seem to remember you can keep it up to a week before use if the weather isn't right for applying.

Currently staying in our caravan near Abersoch (waves across the bay to TM!), and we're going to treat all the pots here, and the section of bank along by our patio. I know the little horrors yomp in from the rest of the field, but it does seem to help keep the numbers down. Just wish there was NemaBunny as we're overrun by impossibly cute but greedy babies which grow into big bunnies that eat most of my plants. :eek: Last year bought a beautiful rambler rose to grow up and disguise the compost bin from patio, and the little barstewards gobbled it down to bare stems, I hate bunnies!

We're going to get some of the ant nematodes too, as we've a red ants nest in the bottom of our compost bin here. Last week John emptied the bin and took out the stuff that had rotted down enough and used it underneath new clematis and passion flower plants that he's planted by the trellis at back of the caravan.

He left all the compost out on a big sheet of plastic for the afternoon to give the ants a chance to get out (or be eaten by the birds ), but the nest runs down towards the next door caravan, so if the queen's still there they'll be back! The stuff that hasn't rotted down fully has now gone back in the bin.

Good luck with all your plants - it never ceases to amaze me how fast they grow (and how great home grown stuff tastes). Nearly all our toms got blight last year , but we had loads of tasty courgettes. :j So our courgettes will go in this weekend (cheated and bought a couple of seedlings that I'm currently hardening off), and I've just started some peas off on wet kitchen roll.

PS NemaSlug is safe around children and pets - just kills slugs.

Spicey

Wow everyones been busy!
We spent saturday morning having a sort out, took some stuff back to builder centre and went to tip. Saturday afternoon we had to go to London for m-i-l birthday, so popped into maidstone to the wickes extra store as needed to get a couple of 900 lintels and a window sill. they dont do them at our local wickes. Could have spent hours in the wickes extra shall def have to make a special trip! And its opposite a Hobby craft shop - what heaven! :j
Sunday was spent tidying up and making way for the plasterers. Stripping yet more wall paper! will it ever end.
Yesterday another trip to the tip (recyling centre).
My potatoes I have now earthed upto the top of the bag, the runner beans are doing well. I am looking forward to next year when the garden should be done and I can have a proper veg garden.